As per Jijantes FC, the Red Devils are in advanced negotiations with Barcelona for the transfer of midfielder Frenkie de Jong. Given Barcelona’s fragile financial situation, the club could be forced to part ways with some of their more saleable assets this summer; the 25-year-old falls into that category with the Dutchman, who has a contract until 2026, currently valued at 70 million euros by Transfermarkt
Fabrizio Romano confirms that there indeed have been contacts between the two clubs to discuss the possibility of a transfer. However, the journalist also claims that a deal is far from agreed upon at the moment, even though Barcelona are willing to part ways with him to keep their finances in check.
The player, as per the journalist, eyes UEFA Champions League football as a priority, which could derail a move to United since they are confirmed to be playing at least one division below next season.
However, the Premier League giants do have an ace in the pack in Erik ten Hag. De Jong broke through into the limelight as the lynchpin under his compatriot’s mesmerizing Ajax side that took Europe by storm during its Champions League semi-final run in 2018/19. Ten Hag has agreed to join United as their head coach starting next season and will push the club to sign De Jong – confirms Romano.
De Jong held discussions previously with the two Manchester giants as well as and Paris Saint-Germain, before opting to sign for Barcelona in January 2019 for a 75 million euro fee. He arrived at Camp Nou the following summer, quickly breaking into the first team and holding down a position, often alongside Sergio Busquets in central midfield. Since then, he has racked up 139 appearances for the Spanish giants and contributed with the occasional goal – of which he has 13 so far.
